AGE Concern Bermuda has brought together a group of landowners who want to help tackle the growing crisis providing affordable accommodation for the elderly.

Although she did not want to name the landowners yet, Age Concern executive director Claudette Fleming said they were "major players" with significant amounts of land.

The news comes in the week after The Royal Gazette highlighted the story of 84-year-old Winifred Dodd, who said she was being driven from the island by soaring rents ? a story which graphically described the problems being faced by many aging Bermudians.

"We have brought together several landowners who are interested in becoming involved in community housing plans," said Ms Fleming.

"They want to be involved in building a structure for caring for our seniors. They have the land and they are looking for a plan on how to best use that land.

"Some people want to see more nursing care, others want to see retirement villages. This is not just a Bermuda problem ? the same thing is happening all over the world ? so we have to look carefully at what others are doing and come up with a master plan to deal with it."

With that in mind, Ms Fleming is part of a three-strong Age Concern delegation that will set off for Britain tomorrow.

In London, they will, as observers, attend the National Council on Ageing ? a coalition of Age Concern groups from England, Scotland and Ireland.

There, the Bermuda group hopes to learn more about how their fellow advocates lobby on behalf of their ageing populations and establish international ties.

Ms Fleming will be joined by Age Concern chairman Walter Roberts and financial expert Patrice Horner.

They will also make an unofficial visit to the British Parliament, meet some MPs and see Age Concern's parliamentary unit.

The Bermuda Government was invited to send a representative, but declined for budgetary reasons, Ms Fleming said.

Age Concern is an advocate organisation and is not part of Government, though it is partly publicly funded.

The bringing together of landowners is just part of networking effort by Age Concern to link different segments of the community in working towards a multifaceted plan for catering to a progressively ageing population.

"We have also brought together rest home operators," said Ms Fleming. "Their main concern is feasibility. How do they keep their homes open?

"We have also brought together some of the organisations who help seniors, such as the Bermuda Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, PALS and the LCCA.

"A lot of the services they offer to seniors are held together by volunteers, who save the country tons of money. And some of the volunteers are seniors themselves who can help their peer group.

"We often underestimate the role that volunteers play in the elder care system."

Age Concern will be involved in a campaign to attract extra volunteers in the coming year.